Happy Wednesday!

Welcome to your daily dose of curated early-career opportunities! Your job search shouldn’t feel confusing, late, or based on luck.

Tired of sending applications into the void? Runway tells you exactly which jobs you're qualified for + what's missing from your resume.

If you want clarity on today’s roles (and thousands more), check your matches here:

Yesterday I showed you how to find the RIGHT people to message on LinkedIn.

Today, I'm showing you what to actually say to them.

Because even if you find the perfect person, a bad message gets ignored.

Here's the message structure that actually works:

Line 1: Shared connection
Mention what you have in common immediately.

Line 2: Specific compliment or observation
Show you actually looked at their profile.

Line 3: One specific question
Make it easy to answer in 2-3 sentences.

Line 4: No pressure out
Give them permission to ignore you if they're busy.

Here's what this looks like in practice:

Example 1: Alumni Connection

Hi [Name],

I'm a junior at Georgia Tech (saw you graduated in 2022!) and I'm really interested in the marketing internship at Nike.

I noticed you worked on the digital campaigns team - the work you did on the Air Max launch was really impressive.

Quick question: What's one thing you wish you knew before starting your internship there?

Totally understand if you're swamped - just thought I'd reach out!

[Your Name]

Example 2: Same Major/Field

Hi [Name],

I'm a computer science student at Penn State and saw you also studied CS before joining Google as a SWE intern.

I'm applying for a similar role and noticed you mentioned working on backend infrastructure - that's exactly what I've been focusing on in my coursework.

Quick question: Did you need to know system design before your internship, or did you learn that on the job?

No worries if you're too busy to reply - appreciate you even reading this!

[Your Name]

Example 3: Similar Background

Hi [Name],

I saw you were in the Marketing Club at Michigan and worked on the Google brand campaign - I'm currently VP of the Marketing Club at Ohio State and we're doing something similar.

Your path from club leadership to a marketing role at Amazon is exactly what I'm trying to figure out.

Quick question: How did you position your club experience when applying to corporate marketing roles?

I know you're probably busy, so no pressure!

[Your Name]

Why these work:

✅ Immediately shows connection (same school, major, club)
✅ Proves you read their profile (specific project/role mentioned)
✅ One easy question (not "can I pick your brain for an hour")
✅ Respects their time (gives them an out)
✅ Under 100 words (takes 30 seconds to read)

What NOT to say:

❌ "Hi, I'm looking for a job at your company. Can you refer me?"
(Too direct, too soon, no relationship built)

❌ "I'd love to pick your brain about your career journey."
(Vague, time-consuming, benefits only you)

❌ "I'm passionate about marketing and would love to learn from you."
(Generic, could be sent to anyone)

❌ [5 paragraph essay about your entire life story]
(They won't read it)

Response rate expectations:

This is why finding the RIGHT people matters.

Do this today:

Take the 3-5 people you identified yesterday and send them personalized messages using this structure.

Send them today. Don't overthink it.

Most people never message anyone because they're waiting for the "perfect" message. Good enough sent today beats perfect sent never.

Ford

Here are today's fresh opportunities for Wednesday, January 14th:

See you in your inbox tomorrow morning,

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